The arguments that hospitals’ trade groups have used for years — mainly, that they need more money from the government — are beginning to fall flat, indicating one of Washington’s most powerful lobbying juggernauts may be losing some goodwill.
While groups like the American Hospital Association, which represents about 5,000 hospitals and which spent $27 million on lobbying in 2022, remain incredibly powerful, inflation, rising health care costs and headlines about questionable business practices have put an unwelcome spotlight on the industry, especially as the Medicare trust fund nears its insolvency date.
“The environment and the attitude about hospitals is probably the worst I’ve ever seen it, period, and I’ve been around a long time,” said Paul Lee, who has worked on hospital issues for 34 years and is senior partner and founder of Strategic Health Care, a consulting firm.
